A Gluten-Free Purpose

My gluten-free (G-F) kitchen is a lab and a sanctuary. Of course, this wasn't always the case.

I was diagnosed 4 years ago, just a few weeks before Thanksgiving. I was shocked. I felt horrible all the time, had no energy, was embarrassed about the rash on my hands, was just starting nursing school. AND I had to re-learn how to eat? After emptying my cabinets and taking a painstaking 3 hour long trip to the supermarket (of course, learning that EVERYTHING had gluten in it), I realized I had to learn to cook.

I come from a long line of good cooks. My maternal grandmother cooked meals and tidbits for the hundreds of doctors at my grandfather's parties. She hired a maid to buss behind her so she could focus on the perfect flavor and presentation. She cooked with Julia Child. This woman was serious about food. My paternal grandfather was the daughter of a German immigrant family in Chicago who married down, into a Czeck family. Everything was made from scratch, and even the simplest dishes and war-time rations were turned into delicious wholesome food. My sister dabbled in chef school, before settling into computer science (a less stressful way to pay the bills and still want to do what you love, she described the compromise). Everyone else around me- my parents, my Dominican relatives- were so focused on concocting masterpieces in the kitchen, that I was shooed out once the simple things were sliced and diced.

For months, I paced around my kitchen trying to: a) figure out what to eat and b) since there was nothing gluten-free and pre-prepared in my life, how to make something > plain chicken and rice, but < a two hour slave effort.

With a lot of encouragement, I am now a well-adjusted, gluten-free cooking woman. My doctor and nutritionist work in the same office, hand in hand, and helped me to keep my head on straight and updated on new research. I mentor newly diagnosed Celiacs while I try not to get frustrated when I explain to people for the 100th time that I can't eat that bagel and no I'm not on a diet.

After my cousin Ryan sent me the link for a recipe on shortbread waffles (not ingeniously G-F) from Orangette's blog, and some encouragement from my supportive boyfriend, I was inspired to try my hand at food blogging. My purpose here is to post recipes I've made successfully, recipes I've adapted, recipes I'm working on perfecting, and documenting my journey surrounding food. The gluten-free community is not as small and obscure as it used to be; however, it is still segmented, unregulated, and disjointed. I hope to make connections between Celiacs, helping people live delicious gluten-free lives, without feeling isolated.